ICC issues arrest warrants for Gaddafi

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Monday issued arrest warrants against Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi and two of his high-ranking officials. The Pre-Trial Chamber I issued warrantsfor Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the “de facto Prime Minister,” and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi, the head of intelligence, for alleged crimes against the people of Libya to quell the revolt that began last February. Based on the materials provided to the Chamber by the Prosecutor’s office, the Chamber found reasonable grounds that between February 15 and February 28, 2011, Gaddafi not only conspired with the other two to {www:perpetrate} crimes against humanity against the people of Libya but took actions to cover-up the crimes. The Chamber noted:

There is also information which indicates that there was a campaign to cover up the alleged crimes through the following acts: (i) targeting journalists to prevent them from reporting events, and punishing them for having done so; (ii) repeatedly blocking satellite transmission of channels such as Al-Jazeera and Al-Hurra and disrupting internet and telecommunications services; (iii) confiscating laptops, cameras, mobile phones SD and SIM cards from persons stopped at checkpoints; (iv) removing dead bodies by the Security Forces including from the hospitals” and throwing of at least one body into a rubbish truck in Tripoli; (v) searching for wounded protesters in the Tripoli hospital; and (vi) leveling to the ground a Mosque which bore bullet holes as a result of an attack by the Security Forces in Al- Zawiyah; and (vii) removing evidence of mass graves in Al-Zawiyah.”

Libya is not a signatory of the Rome Statute granting the ICC its jurisdiction, and Gaddafi has refused to recognize its authority. Still, the Chamber noted that, “the official position of an individual, whether he or she is a national of a State party or of a State which is not party to the Statute, has no effect on the Court’s jurisdiction.”

Last week, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented the materials to Pre-Trial Chamber. He said his office had gathered “direct evidence” that shows Gaddafi personally ordered attacks on civilian protestors and that his forces used live ammunition on crowds, attacked civilians in their homes, used heavy weapons against people in funeral processions and placed snipers to shoot those leaving mosques after prayer services.

Moreno-Ocampo announced last month that his office was pursuing arrest warrants against Gaddafi and the two others in his “inner circle.” He said al-Islam was acting as Gaddafi’s “de facto Prime Minister” and called al-Sanussi Gaddafi’s “right-hand man” and “executioner.” At that time, Moreno-Ocampo said his office was almost prepared for trial, having collected quality testimony from some who have fled Libya. There have been numerous allegations of war crimes and human rights violations over the Libyan revolt which has persisted since February.

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) decided to extend a mandate to an investigative panel instructing it to continue its investigation of human rights abuses in Libya, after it published a 92-page report. The report claims Libyan authorities have committed crimes against humanity such as acts constituting murder, imprisonment and other severe deprivations of physical liberties, torture, forced disappearances and rape “as part of a widespread or {www:systematic} attack against a civilian population with knowledge of the attack.”

6 thoughts on “ICC issues arrest warrants for Gaddafi”

Is ICC only for non Western country dictators? What about Western oligarchs that are creating havoc in the world? We all know that ICC, UN is now clearly clear that it functions only for Western nations. One size does not fit all. Dictators in Arab countries such as Egypt and Tunisia shows evidence enough the opression they showed on their people one indication is how people revolted against their dictators whereas, in the case of Gaddaffi, it is different case, Gadaffi stands for his people before anything else and yet, Nato moved in to kille Gadaffi only to control the oil that Gadaffi has been nationalizing the oil and making his people live a fulfill life. Nato should be in Ethiopia bombing Meles regime and Eritrea Isayas, and Al Bashir in Sudan not in Libya. Gadaffi has been good to his people. Stop using terms such democracy and dictatorship that doesn’t really apply to certain nations, these are the terms used to manipulate the mass. As long as leadership brings peace, development, equality and freedom to a nation, dictatorship does not apply here meaning, I don’t care how many years a leader is in power as long as he implements the above development, equality, etc… of course this same leader should reform any faults, etc. and yet, people who are trying to change such good leadership will pay a huge price as they are seeking paradise instead they will end up recolonized by outside forces as it is happpening in this case by Nato.

Well we have to say goodbye to our over throwing of Meles regime, as he made himself important in the world by offering troops in Sudan to protect the interest of West while endangering Ethiopia by Sudan.

Arrest warrants are meant strictly for dictators against whom their own tyrannized population have primarily, practically and sustainably risen up as to put up believable, uncompromising and unbending challenges while taking all the abundant risks and brutalities from the otherside.

There and then along the escalating and spiraling phase of the conflict comes slowly but surely the demand for choosing sides because of the fact that there are now clearly defined lines of actions and counter actions like in the current Libyan conflict.

But in the case of the Ethiopians we seem be laying flat on our back dormant and passive like FAT DUCKS and wishing that others come to liberate us from the jaws of an overgrown wild Crocodile. What a shameful internalized dependency thinking. Believe it or not none will come to liberate Ethiopians other than themselves!

True,
I don’t know where you are living, you seem to be infatuated with Gadafi.But the Libyan people said enough to Gadafi.He is one of the most arrogant dictators ever lived in the African contenent, and he is power monger period. If you have hard time accepting this see how he carelessly handles the political crisis of his own making. He is an old man that is he lived his life to the best but he won’t let his children and his grand children to have the best of their life. In the end they will pay for their father’s failed to accept a political solution to the crisis.
You wrote,

“As long as leadership brings peace, development, equality and freedom to a nation, dictatorship does not apply here meaning, I don’t care how many years a leader is in power as long as he implements the above development, equality…”
You may not care how many years a dictator may stay in power In this case Kadafi?But the Libians do care and they are up with their sleeves to deliver a punch to the age long tyrant.Only some one from Hamassen can make the above statment
What do you mean by the term equality? Do you mean the right for due process or to have equal right before the law? Or are you talking about the right to have equal income? The later is not to happen anywhere in the world not even in the by gone Socialist states. Beside, Gadafy brought neither freedom nor equality for Libians.killings arrest,and banishment of Libians.